Smallpox is the first and only human infectious disease to be eradicated. Thanks to a campaign of universal vaccination the last naturally occurring case of smallpox was in October 1977 in Somalia. Two years later the World Health Organization (WHO) certified it as eradicated. This was sanctioned by the World Health Assembly (WHA) on May 1980.

Guinea wormImage/Video Screen Shot

There are two other infectious diseases that are getting so closer to this massive achievement and the end is in sight–polio and guinea worm disease.

Polio cases have decreased by over 99% since 1988, from an estimated 350,000 cases then, to 37 reported cases in 2016. In 2017, that number (of WPV-1 cases) has dropped to 19 (7 in Pakistan and 12 in Afghanistan) through Dec. 19 thanks to vaccinations.

Guinea Worm Disease is on an equally miraculous track as it gets closer to eradication. In 1986, there were an estimated 3.5 million cases in 21 countries in Africa and Asia. Today, that number has been reduced by more than 99.99 percent.

Through Oct. 31, 26 cases have been reported from two countries (Chad- 14 and Ethiopia- 12). No vaccine or medical treatment exists for Guinea worm infection in humans. Instead, the ancient disease is being wiped out mainly through community-based interventions to educate and change behavior, such as teaching people to filter all drinking water and preventing contamination by keeping patients from entering water sources.

Image/geralt via pixabay

9. Measles in Europe

This vaccine preventable disease has really reared it’s ugly head in Europe starting in late 2016 and through all of 2017.

In addition, Valneva was granted FDA Fast Track designation for their Lyme disease vaccine candidate and important research was published that found that the Lyme bacteria, Borrelia burgdorferi survive a 28-day course of antibiotics when treated months after infection. In addition, the study also measured the antibody immune response to the bacteria both pre- and post- treatment, as this is how current diagnostics typically evaluate Lyme disease in humans.

This was just a portion of the happenings in the world of Lyme disease.

The Philippines, the first Asian country to approve the vaccine, rolled it out in force in 2016. From that time until recently, some 730,000 children were vaccinated.

Then came the announcement from Sanofi Pasteur on Nov. 29 that revealed that there is an increased risk of severe dengue and hospitalization several years after vaccination among people in all age groups who had not been exposed to dengue prior to vaccination.

Officials note that most of the drugs currently in the clinical pipeline are modifications of existing classes of antibiotics and are only short-term solutions. The report found very few potential treatment options for those antibiotic-resistant infections identified by WHO as posing the greatest threat to health, including drug-resistant tuberculosis which kills around 250 000 people each year.

The report identifies 51 new antibiotics and biologicals in clinical development to treat priority antibiotic-resistant pathogens; however, only 8 are classed by WHO as innovative treatments that will add value to the current antibiotic treatment arsenal.

Image/CIA

3. Venezuela

Venezuela is in turmoil no matter what angle you look at it. Infectious diseases is one angle.

Years of war, Saudi-led airstrikes and blockades has led to a huge humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the poorest country in the Middle East.

Since Apr. 27, 1,013,260 cholera cases have been reported, including 2233 deaths. The outbreak has quickly surpassed Haiti as the biggest since modern records began in 1949.

Diphtheria has seen a resurgence with more than 300 cases and 35 deaths being reported in the past three months.

According to the 2018 Humanitarian Needs Overview, 16.4 million people in 215 districts across Yemen lack adequate access to health care – 9.3 million of whom are in acute need. This presents a drastic increase of 79.3% since late 2014.